Because we love Nevada, we tend to discount or ignore outsider criticism; however, when it is so embarrassing, credible and pervasive, we owe it to ourselves to acknowledge and act on it.

Nevada is ranked No. 40 in U.S. News & World Report's 2017 Best States Report. Sixty metrics were used for the seven categories measured. In the categories of education and government, Nevada came in 49th, while lowest-ranked-overall Louisiana was rated 46th in these categories. Nevada was ranked 46th in crimes/corrections, four places better than Louisiana’s 50th in this category. In summary, Nevada ranked worse in education and government than the worst state in the Union, and just a tad better in crime/corrections than the lowest ranked state in that category. For a quick sanity check on the U.S. News & World Report data, in Education Week’s 2017 report on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Nevada placed 51st in education (gulp).

Apportioning blame between Las Vegas and Northern Nevada would be laborious, contentious and imprecise. Instead, consider that whatever successes Nevada’s education, government and law enforcement could muster in defense would only obscure the multitude of sins that led to these results. Who in Nevada’s educational, government and law enforcement communities think they are doing a poor job? Many, no doubt, will steadfastly defend their agencies despite these dismal outside assessments. Perhaps this is part of the problem: a lack of objective self-examination, accountability and imagination.

We can hope for improvement, back up that hope with the best of intentions and wave the agency’s flag. Alternatively, agencies can take an humble look in the mirror and work together to find better practices because “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Sounds easy, but how do we overcome inter-agency silo mentality, turf protection and political agendas when formulating budgets and identifying and implementing symbiotic organizational efficiencies? Nevada’s brightest stepping up to establish a series of regional summits with business, education, government and law enforcement leaders would foster brainstorming and cooperation. These summits would serve to streamline organizations and processes.

Where can we start? If you are an accomplished and well-connected innovator, step out of your comfort zone to discuss this with your peers with the intention of making such inter-agency summits “an idea whose time has come” and a reality.

This is not just about pride. It is about responsibly reshaping Nevada’s future. As they say, “the best way to tell the future is to create it.”